Conarty finished with a winning time of 26:24, placing ahead of Ken Hidu of Hampton (26:33).

Sullivan won the women's division, finishing with a time of 34:16.

Conarty almost made a wrong turn in the last mile of the race, but fortunately for him someone pointed him in the right direction.

"I heard someone honk the horn, and I througt it was directed at me," said Conarty, a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. "I thought I was making the wrong turn, but luckily someone told me to stay on the course I was running."

For Conarty, 25, the race was just a "trial" run.

"My best time in a 5-mile run is a 25:20," Conarty said. "I actually have been running for the Nosotros Track Club of Albequerque, N.M., since I was 11. I won't get into my speed work until mid-winter.

"I'm concentrating on the 1,500-meter run. My best time in this race is a 3:52. Once I get my speed work down, I believe I can go under 25:00 in the 5-mile run."

The course record for the NNS race is 25:20, set by Lucien Gentile in 1987. The women's record is held by Lorraine Hochella at 28:59 in 1987. Hochella, who hopes to make the U.S. Olympic trials for 1992 Olympic Games, did not enter Saturday's race.

Conarty, who graduated from the University of New Mexico in August, took the lead away from 4th-place finisher Steve Rodey of Hampton (27:11) at about the two-mile mark.

"It was a mild day but what little heat we had didn't bother me," said Conarty. "I thought some of the guys went out a little fast. I just tried to keep my pace, making sure I had enough if I had to sprint at the end."

While Conarty didn't have to sprint at the end of the race, Sullivan, a second leiutenant, needed a closing kick.

"I knew I had to do something, and quick, with about 30-meters to go," said Sullivan, who is also stationed at the transportion school like Conarty. "I saw my competition right with me so I had to turn it on."

Sullivan outsprinted Isabella Clapp of Hampton (34:20) at the end to win.

"We had 686 runners cross the finish line," said John Meckley, the race director. "However, with all the miltary companys in the race, the total runners climbed to 1,500, the largest field we've ever had."